The present application relates to an image acquisition apparatus and method for acquiring an image. The present application is preferably applied to a field of observation of a tissue section, for example.
To date, a biological sample, such as a tissue section, etc., used in a pathological field has been fixed on a microscope slide, and predetermined staining has been applied on the biological sample. In general, if a retention period of a biological sample becomes long, the biological sample itself deteriorates, and color fading, etc., occurs in the staining applied on the biological sample. Thereby, noticeability on the biological sample by a microscope deteriorates. Also, a biological sample is sometimes used for a diagnosis at a facility other than a facility such as a hospital, etc., where the biological sample is created. In that case, the biological sample is generally sent and received by mail, and thus it takes a certain time for the transfer.
Under these circumstances, a proposal has been made for an apparatus storing a biological sample as image data (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-222801).
Also, in pathological diagnoses, high-precision biological sample images produced by enlarging biological samples at a predetermined magnification are used. Accordingly, the following proposal has been made of a microscope apparatus producing high-precision biological sample images (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-63656). In the microscope apparatus, an area including a biological sample is divided into a plurality of small areas, the small areas are enlarged at a predetermined magnification, images of the small areas are captured, and a plurality of the divided small images are combined into a high-precision biological sample image.